The New Generation
by The Warts of the Hog
Summary: The story of Edward and Emelia Lupin, Remus' grandchildren, their adventures at Hogwarts and the friends they meet there. Some would say it's the Marauders all over again, minus Peter Pettigrew of course. This time it's a Malfoy instead. Slightly AU
1. Chapter 1

Emma Lupin sat on the edge of her bed, swinging her legs backwards and forwards, her fingers drumming impatiently on the mattress. Her mother had told her not to worry, and that she would love her no matter what, but Emma knew that deep down she would be disappointed if she didn't get a letter. And while her brain was imagining the possible futures of her being a squib, and being disowned from her loving family, Emma's eyes gazed into the lightening sky, in a silent prayer.

Edward Lupin was dealing with the wait differently. He too had woken at the crack of dawn, and had looked out of the window longingly, just in case an owl was flying towards him carrying the letter of acceptance. However, instead of wasting his first Saturday as an eleven year-old, he decided to prove to not only Headmistress McGonagall but to the entire world that he, Edward Lupin, was worthy of a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In his attempts, he had already broken eight plates, but one plate sat proudly on the counter, a slightly darker blue than it was previously.

Deciding that was enough of a display of his magical capabilities, Edward wandered into the garden and threw himself onto the ground theatrically. The sudden movement caught the eyes of his twin sister, who was shaking her head at his apparent lack of concern.

After tugging her window open, she leaned out to look down on her twin brother condescendingly.

'Honestly, Ted, aren't you worried at all?' She called out, loud enough for him to hear but not enough to wake up their parents.

He grinned up at her, and gestured to the garden around him. 'I think the fact that I am here, and not asleep in my bed at this ungodly hour suggests that yes, I am slightly worried.'

She laughed, and had to agree with his reasoning. Ted never woke up before ten o'clock at the weekends, a habit which he had picked up from their mother.

'Ted, I'm worried.' She murmured, forgetting he was two floors below her. 'What if I don't get in, Teddy?' She said, raising her voice slightly, hoping that her brother hadn't noticed the slight quiver.

He merely raised his eyebrows, and gave her a comical look of disbelief.

'Edward, I'm serious!' She whined, earning her a cheesy grin and a wink.

'As am I, my darling little Leah,' he mimicked, using the affectionate name she only allowed their father to use.

'I'll get you for that!' She practically yelled, her eyes narrowing into a feline scowl.

He leapt up from his reclined position, ready to face the oncoming attack from the creature others knew as Emelia Lupin. As soon as he saw her charging out onto the patio, he scurried behind the tree and peeped out. His fear was only slightly exaggerated; his sister really was a huge threat when angered.

'Now, now, Emmy, darling. We really don't want to...'

'Oh be quiet, Edward, no one wants to hear your voice.' She muttered, her blunt comments only betrayed by the huge grin on her face. He made a strange noise halfway between a laugh and a squeak of indignation, which caused both of them to erupt into a fit of laughter.

Victoire Weasley awoke incredibly early to the sound of squeals and giggles coming from the garden. She scrambled out of bed, elbowing her husband 'accidentally on-purpose' as she didn't think it was fair for him to continue sleeping while she was very much awake. Walking over to the window, she saw her twin children rolling on the grass which was still wet with dew from the night. 'What are you two up to down there?' She asked, unable to keep a smile off her face after seeing their cheeky smirks.

Emma was trying to explain, but at least every other word was incomprehensible due to screams of laughter coming from her son.

The two females of the family shared a look of slight terror. The elder Ted Lupin, after one look at the scene below him, shook his head at his daughter. 'I don't want to know.' He sighed.

'Long story short, Edward's a cross between a Hippogriff, an alcoholic and Hagrid!' Emma explained with a perfectly straight face, which made both of her parents look at her, horrified.

'Well there's an image I won't be forgetting anytime soon.' Ted Lupin muttered, shaking his head.

Before long both Edward and Emma Lupin had forgotten why they had woken up so early in the first place.

Breakfast in the Lupin household was always eventful, and this was no exception. Emma burst out laughing at the slightest provocation, and had fallen off her chair three times already. Edward was still attempting to change the colour of the plates, breaking them almost as quickly as his mother was repairing them.

'Teddy, please,' She scolded him lightheartedly, 'I'm pleased you're taking an interest in your studies for once, but could you perhaps practice this not during breakfast?'

He groaned as another plate cracked down the middle. 'Mum, you distracted me! And I need to practice as much as I can so when I go to Hogwarts...' He trailed off, and glanced at his sister who had finally stopped laughing.

'What time is it, daddy?' She asked hurriedly, while jumping of her chair and rushing to the window.

'It just turned eight,' He replied, and before she could ask her next question, he continued, 'The post usually comes at about nine.'

She nodded, and wandered over to her mother, and clambered awkwardly onto her lap. Stroking her hair absentmindedly, Victoire Weasley turned slightly to smile at her son. 'There's no reason to be worried, you know. That plate alone is proof that you can do magic.' She gestured to the one plate on the sideboard, still bearing that slightly darker blue. 'And you, Emmy, your first display of accidental magic was so impressive that I don't think anyone who saw it could deny you a place at Hogwarts.'

Both of her children gave her small smiles, and after thanking their father for cooking breakfast, rushed into the garden.

As they lay under the tree that had been the cause of so many crashes in Quidditch, they talked about what house they thought they'd be in, and what the teachers would be like. Their conversation became so animated that neither of them heard the owl that came in through the open window.

Inside the house, Ted picked up the letters and scanned through them quickly. He glanced at his wife with a grin, 'One for Teddy, and one for Leah.'

She smiled and hugged him from behind. 'I'm going to miss them so much.'

He turned around and kissed her on the forehead. 'Yeah, just you and I in the house. That's going to be great, isn't it?' He muttered sarcastically.

'Teddy Lupin!' She scowled, and snatched the letters from his hand. 'Do you want to give them these or should I?'

He backed away from her, smirking. 'You can do it, I don't particularly want to be anywhere near them when the shrieking begins!'

Sighing, she exited the kitchen, and ran across the garden, almost as excited as her children.

'Mum, are those our letters?' Edward leapt up eagerly, and Emma quickly followed suit. Victoire presented them with their Hogwarts sealed envelopes.

Edward opened it slowly, careful not to rip the most precious letter he thought he'd ever receive, whereas Emma ripped it open frantically, just wanting confirmation that she was actually about to attend Hogwarts.

Despite finishing the letter at very different times, they both got to the same conclusion.

They were going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

**Hi,**

**I'm new to fanfiction, and The New Generation is my first one. Thanks so much for reading it if you have, and for helping me to get started. I'm sure you hear this a lot, but please favourite it if you did like it, and if you didn't I would really appreciate it if you reviewed. For a beginner any criticism is constructive.**

**For now, I think I'll just focus on this story, and if people seem to like it, I'll do a second year one and continue from there. I have also begun a Warriors one, and I'd really appreciate it if you gave it a look.**

**Anyway, I'm a 15 year old girl from London, and despite hating English as a subject, I've always loved writing stories and making up characters. I guess that's why this story (and the Warriors one, actually) are about characters who don't exist in the books, as I don't like using characters who already exist, because it feels too restricted.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this and PM me if you want to know anything, I guess.**

**The Warts of the Hog (like Hog Warts, get it?! Yes, that is what my sense of humour is always like. Be concerned.)**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day the Lupin family decided to go to Diagon Alley to pick up their supplies and just explore the world their children were going to be a part of.

As soon as they went through the passageway from the Leaky Cauldron, Edward rushed off towards Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Ted and Victoire shared a look of equal despair and humour, and Victoire shook her head. 'His godfather has corrupted him.'

James Potter was Edward Lupin's godfather, as Teddy felt like his godfather's son should be his son's godfather. No one else understood his logic.

Nevertheless, the family grudgingly followed Edward into the shop where he gawked at the newest and most expensive broom on the market, the SpeedStrike 420.

Edward spun around to face his father, who, knowing what he was about to ask, patted his shoulder.

'If you get on the team, Teddy.'

Emma grabbed hold of her father and brother's hands, examining 'Well, if that's sorted, can we get our wands and books and pets now?'

With the parents laughing at their daughter's enthusiasm, the family wandered along the bustling wizarding street, pointing out things for their children to take note of along the way.

After buying the cauldrons, and all the books they needed for their first school year, they entered Mr Ollivander's wand shop, which was now run by his son, Janus.

'Mr Lupin and Ms Weasley,' He greeted them blankly, 'and the young Lupins too, I see. I expect the two of you need your wands, yes?' Without waiting for an answer, he continued as emotionlessly as before. 'Well come forwards then, children. You'll have your wands in no time.'

As soon as they had stepped forwards, he rushed away to the back of the shop, where he rummaged through many boxes and drawers.

'Ms Lupin, maybe this will suit your needs?' He said to her with a peculiar smile, and she took the wand with a nervous stutter of thanks.

'No, no, that won't do.' He muttered immediately after she took it off him, and she blinked, before staring at her parents in fear. They merely nodded at her in reassurance, and her mother mouthed 'Perfectly normal' at her.

Mr Ollivander came back, this time with two wands, neither of which were deemed acceptable. After another failed attempt, she began to get noticeably nervous.

'What's wrong, Emmy?' Her father asked her with a concerned look.

'I'm failing!' She wailed, tears welling up in her eyes, 'None of the wands are choosing me!'

'Now, now, Ms Lupin, perhaps this one shall work, yes?' The strange man murmured, handing her a elaborately carved dark wand.

With a reassuring smile from her brother, she tentatively took the wand from the wrinkled hand in front of her. He immediately began to smile, murmuring incomprehensibly to himself. She waved it around, and grinned as golden sparks flew out of the end.

'Well done, Em!' Her mother praised her, looking at Mr Ollivander for the description.

'Ah yes,' He mumbled, 'Ash, unicorn hair core, slightly flexible, and I think you'll find it's very good for transfiguration, rather like your mother's.'

To Emma, this was high praise, seeing that her mother was a very talented witch. Victoire gazed at her daughter proudly, giving her a huge grin when she turned around looking for approval.

'Now for you, young Mr Lupin,' said Mr Ollivander, giving Teddy a smile that looked more like a grimace. 'Generally twins have wands which share the same core, so we'll start from there, shall we?'

After rummaging in his endless cupboards, he reappeared with a selection of wands to choose from. He handed one of them to Teddy, who accepted it with a shy smile, and gave it a cautious swish. His eyes widened in delight when an array of bright blue sparks flew out, brightening the dingy little shop for a few seconds.

'Yes, yes, just as I thought,' Mr Ollivander paused for a second, 'Yes, of course, just as I thought.'

Teddy thought he sounded rather uncertain towards the end, but chose not to comment, as he wanted to get as far away from the creepy shopkeeper as possible.

'What's his wand good for?' Emma asked excitedly, as she already wanted to know everything about the magical world.

'Ah, yes, of course,' Mr Ollivander murmured, looking deeply concerned. 'Willow, unicorn hair core, rigid, and good for the dark arts.' Hearing Victoire's sharp intake of breath, he continued hurriedly. 'Defence against the dark arts, of course, my apologies.'

This seemed to placate Victoire, who smiled at Teddy in encouragement.

'You're dad was a DADA teacher, right dad?' Teddy asked excitedly.

His dad ruffled his hair, 'Yes, Teddy, that's right. He'll be thrilled.'

After their parents had paid a rather large sum for the wands, Teddy and Emma practically dragged their parents to Eyelop's Owl Emporium.

'Can I get an owl, daddy, can I?' Emma pestered her father, knowing he would give in to his 'little Leah'.

'Of course you can, darling, but only if you promise to write home every weekend.'

This was as much encouragement as she needed, and Emma sprinted into the shop, scrutinising every owl she saw.

Teddy, however, seemed unsure.

'What's the matter Teddy?' His mother asked him, 'You can get an owl too, you know.'

He smiled up at her, and nodded slightly. 'I know mum, I'm just wondering whether I should get a cat instead. Because, you know, I could always send letters with Emma's owl if I wanted.'

He wandered into the shop, deciding to get the first animal he liked, regardless of it's species. As he was immediately drawn towards a lithe ginger tabby, that was what he got.

His sister, on the other hand, chose to get an intelligent looking owl with thick dappled grey feathers, whom she decided to name Artemis.

Having come out of the shop, holding Artemis' cage proudly, she walked over to her brother.

'So what are you going to name the little cutie?' She asked him, rubbing the cat's head lovingly.

He tilted his head to one side, considering the question. 'Well, seeing as you've named yours after a character from mythology, why don't I do the same? How about Zeus?'

She grinned, 'That's a great idea! Hello Zeusy weusy weusy...' She cooed at him, earning her a slight hiss in return.

With names decided, the two children returned home happy, beginning to imagine what Hogwarts would and could be like.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch3

'Edward Lupin! Come down here this instant!' Victoire Weasley yelled, the rest of the family already downstairs waiting to go.

'Sorry mum,' he gasped, lugging his huge suitcase down the stairs. 'I just remembered that I forgot Zeus' blanket!'

'Speak of the devil.' She muttered, as the cat strolled into the entranceway like he owned it. Rather similar to his namesake, Zeus practically thought himself a God, and in the five days he had been living in the house, he had become accustomed to ordering around the house elves, and sitting at the head of the table during mealtimes. Ted and Victoire were rather excited to be getting rid of him.

'How are we getting to Kings Cross, dad?' Emma asked, biting her lip nervously.

'We'll take the car, so we don't attract too much attention.' He said, looking pensive. He gave her a small smile. 'And stop worrying, you. You'll have so much fun.'

She merely nodded, and picking up her suitcase along with Artemis' cage, she walked out the front door.

Teddy followed her example, leaving their parents alone in the hallway.

'I'm so worried!' Victoire wailed, and her husband's arms circled around her comfortingly.

'They'll be fine, honestly. With your temper and assertiveness and my astounding brain capacity,' He smirked, causing her to laugh through her tears, 'How could they not be?'

'I know they'll be fine, it's me I'm more worried about. How will I cope not knowing when they're sick or when they're sad? When they go to their new friends with their problems, and don't come to me anymore?' She sniffed, 'I sound ridiculous, don't I?'

'Not ridiculous, no.' He replied, 'Just like a very good mother who's struggling to let go.'

She gave him a sad smile, and pulling on a dark red cloak and pushing her long blonde hair behind her shoulders, she too went over to the car.

This left Teddy alone, and as his whole family seemed to be rather sad, he turned his hair into a fluorescent yellow to brighten them up a bit. Despite both his children having inherited a slight metamorphmagus ability, with which they could only change the colour of their hair and eyes, neither of them liked using the skill as they didn't want to attract the attention of the muggles who lived nearby. They would probably detect that something was strange if their neighbours' hair colour changed daily. However he hoped that when they got to Hogwarts they would make full use of the ability, as he had done, and irritate the teachers and their fellow students in lessons by making their hair flash different colours. He smiled nostalgically, and could only hope his children would look back at their time at Hogwarts in the same positive light.

Grabbing the car keys off the sideboard, he joined the rest of his family in their car, ready to head off to Kings Cross.

They arrived over two hours before the train was scheduled to leave, due to Victoire's panic about missing it. Having been helped through the barrier by their parents, Teddy and Emma saw that they were not the first people to arrive onto the rather desolate platform.

The elder Ted Lupin laughed loudly, and strolled forwards. 'James Potter! Trust our wives to get us here this early, right?'

James Potter's hand combed his scruffy black hair back nervously. 'Well, it was actually me. Seeing that it's the twins first year and all, I was panicking, I guess. I like the hair by the way.'

His wife, Alice Longbottom, rolled her eyes at her husband's promptness and smiled fondly as her son and daughter rushed past her with grins on their faces.

'Emmy!' Her daughter squealed, barreling into her friend with great excitement.

Minnie Potter had her mother's long dark red hair, and her father's warm brown eyes. Her twin brother, Phil, was the direct opposite, with his father's black hair, which he managed to keep under slightly more control than all of his male ancestors had, and his mother's blue eyes.

The young boy was greeting his friend Teddy slightly less over-excitedly than his sister was, but his eyes were showing just as much happiness as hers were.

Leaving their children to chatter amongst themselves, the adults wandered over to a bench where they sat down and began to talk.

'Minnie's certainly very excited.' Victoire commented, looking over at the children's animated discussion.

'Yeah, she's keen to meet her namesake, and Peeves of all people! Well, he's not a person, but you get what I mean. Peeves!' James exclaimed disgustedly.

'Oh, she took after you then did she, James? With the pranking and mischief?' Teddy asked worriedly.

'Sadly yes,' Alice murmured, 'We can only hope she doesn't get as many detentions as you did.'

James only grinned at his daughter, and then beckoned over another small child, who was sitting on a suitcase nearby.

'Come here, Artie, what are you doing over there all alone?' He asked, and the small red haired boy stood up and wandered over sadly.

'They're all talking about Hogwarts, and I'm not going for ages.' He whispered forlornly, and his eyes gazed longingly at the group of eleven year olds.

'Hey, don't worry. You'll be there soon enough.' James said with a small grin, 'Besides, I'm not sure I'd be able to cope if all my children left at once!'

The small Arthur Potter scrambled onto his father's lap and began sucking his thumb.

Alice noticed how her husband's rather tactless last comment was upsetting Victoire, so she began talking again.

'Minnie took after James completely, but Phil is more like me. He's really quite quiet and doesn't like getting into trouble but will do whatever Minnie tells him to, which normally ends up with getting into trouble! I think he could be a Hufflepuff.'

'Min's definitely a Gryffindor. Or at least I hope she is, following in my footsteps and all that. Where do you think yours will be?'

Teddy smiled, 'You know, if have absolutely no idea. I doubt they'll be in Hufflepuff, they're too... Assertive and excitable for the Puffs I think.'

'I agree,' Victoire nodded, 'They could be in any of the other three. I kind of see Teddy as a Ravenclaw, but I think Emma's more of a Gryffindor? I haven't really thought about it to be honest. I'll be happy wherever they're put.'

'Where do you think I'll be, daddy?' A small voice came from James' lap.

James stroked his non-existent beard, appearing very deep in thought, making Arthur giggle.

'Hmm,' He murmured, 'Well, little buddy. I think you could be wherever you want to be.'

Arthur smiled cutely, 'Not Slitherin then.' He shuddered. 'Snakes creep me out.'

'The Slytherins aren't all bad, Artie.' His mother admonished.

'Yeah,' James tapped his nose lightly, 'Think of your Uncle Albus, for example. He's really nice isn't he? And really smart and brave and funny?'

'Yeah,' Andrew conceded, 'He is nice! He brings me presents every time he visits.' He explained to Teddy and Victoire, who acted in awe of this kindness.

'How is Al at the moment?' Teddy asked, and James smiled proudly.

'I didn't want to say it in front of the kids, as he wanted it to be a surprise, but he's going to be deputy headmaster this year!'


	4. Chapter 4

When Emma turned away from the animated conversation which had now turned to the topic of Teddy's Quidditch accomplishments, she was surprised to find that she could no longer see her parents because of a large crowd obstructing her view.

'Guys,' She said, tapping Teddy on the shoulder, interrupting his vivid recount of his latest goal. 'I think we should go find our parents again. We'll be getting on the train soon!'

After barging through the wall of people greeting and hugging each other, they ran over to their parents, who suspiciously stopped talking as soon as they saw them approach.

'Hey kiddos!' James exclaimed rather too enthusiastically, and the children shared a look of distrust.

'Heya dad,' Phil replied, his eyes narrowed. 'What are you talking about?'

'Oh, nothing, nothing!' Victoire jumped in, 'Oh, I'm going to miss you two so much!'

She enveloped the two of them in a hug, and Teddy pushed her away, embarrassed.

'Mum!' He groaned, 'There are people here!'

She laughed, and ruffled his hair fondly, 'You'll be free from me in no time at all. Look, some people are already getting on the train!'

Teddy glanced behind him, and his eyes widened in terror. He rushed forwards, and pulled Victoire into a hug, causing his father to burst out laughing.

'As amusing as this is, maybe we should be getting on now, yes?' Minnie asked, barely containing her excitement. When her brother began to protest, she silenced him with a stern glare. 'That was rhetorical, come on!'

'Now, Min, you have to say goodbye first!' James said, pulling her onto his lap, much to the indignation of Arthur. 'I'll miss you so much, okay? Do your daddy proud, yeah?'

'Definitely.' She nodded, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. 'And I'll miss you too. Bye Artie! I'll send you a letter as soon as I get there, promise.'

Meanwhile, Phil was hugging Alice as tightly as he could, while she whispered words of encouragement into his ear.

Once enough goodbyes had been said to satisfy everybody, Minnie dragged them towards the train, their parents walking behind so they could say goodbye again through the window of their compartment.

'Come on!' Minnie yelled, and Teddy raised his eyebrows at Phil and whispered 'Is she always like this?'

Phil grimaced in response. 'Pretty much.'

'Guys, I've found an empty compartment!' Minnie shouted incredibly loudly, ushering them all inside.

'Gee, thanks for telling the whole damn train, Minnie!' Phil shot back, causing the boys behind him to clap him on the back.

'You tell her!' One of them grinned, and the other one held out his hand. 'Theodore Wood, Gryffindor Quidditch captain.' He merely grinned cockily, hearing the gasps of admiration from Teddy among others. 'First years, I presume?' He continued, glancing at the adults peering in through the window waving at them.

Before Phil had a chance to respond, Teddy had burst forwards. 'Yes, I'm Teddy Lupin. First year.'

'Lupin, really?' The other boy murmured, 'Pleased to meet you. I'm Marcus Black.'

Seeing Teddy's blank expression, Marcus looked shocked. 'Really, your grandfather never mentioned someone called Sirius? Sirius Black, no?'

Hearing this, Emma joined her brother in the corridor.

'Sirius Black? Wasn't he best friends with James potter or something?' Teddy stared at her, and she sighed. 'I read about it okay? In 'The Greatest Wizards of the 21st Century'. Grandpa's in it.'

'Yes, he would be.' Marcus muttered. 'But he never told you about him? Sirius, I mean? He told us all about your grandparents.' He sighed. 'Did he at least tell you about the Potters?'

Emma nodded, and Teddy dragged Phil out of the compartment, and to Minnie's horror she was left alone.

'Yep! See, this is Harry Potter's grandson.' Teddy explained proudly.

'Teddy!' Phil muttered angrily, having caught the attention of many other students on the train. 'I told you not to tell anyone!'

'No, Phil, it's fine. His grandpa knows Harry!' Teddy said, pointing at Marcus and Theodore, 'And he's the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team!'

'So I've been told all about your grandparents and how great they were, all the great stuff they did, what great times they had together, and how great and wonderful their children must be,' Marcus muttered bitterly, 'And your grandparents never had the decency to even bring up my grandfather in one conversation, just once, one little acknowledgment of the fact that he was their best friend. All these years, I've wanted to meet you, the children of these great, great people. And I expected them to want to meet us too. But of course, seeing that you never knew he even existed, it's no surprise we've never met.'

Phil gulped, glancing at the young man in front of him.

'I'm sorry?' Teddy said, glaring at Emma as she scurried back into their compartment.

'No, don't be.' Marcus shook his head, 'It's not your fault. Just... Forget about it, okay? It doesn't matter.'

He turned around rapidly and stormed down the train, leaving Teddy and Phil standing in the corridor awkwardly.

'Sorry about that.' Theodore gestured to the corridor behind him. 'He's not normally like that.'

'It's okay.' Phil murmured timidly, while Teddy grinned at the older boy excitedly. 'What position do you play?'

Theodore laughed at his enthusiasm. 'Chaser, why?'

'Me too!' Teddy was almost jumping up and down now. 'I really want to be on the team!'

'Yes,' Theodore raised his eyebrows, 'Somehow I got that impression already. If you're in Gryffindor, I'll see how good you are. If you're as good as you are enthusiastic, they'll be no problem at all.' He waved at the two small boys, 'I'll see you around, Lupin, Potter.'

They rushed back into their compartment, excited, yet very confused about what had just occurred.


	5. Chapter 5

'What was going on out there?' Minnie asked, still slightly angry at being left alone.

'Um,' Teddy murmured, 'I'm not really sure. Sirius Black's grandson got angry because we hadn't heard about his grandparents and he had been told about ours.' He explained, realising how stupid it sounded. 'Dad and grandpa have never mentioned him, so I don't know what's going on.'

They all sat in silence for a while, trying to work out why their parents would keep their past a secret, and beginning to really worry about getting sorted.

'What house do you think you're going to be in?' Emma wailed, when she could contain her fear no longer.

'Oh don't worry about that, Em.' Minnie said confidently. 'Grandpa Harry told me that the hat takes your decision into account, so just tell it you want to be in Gryffindor, and it will all be fine!'

'I don't know if I want to be in Gryffindor,' Phil muttered, avoiding his sister's gaze.

For once Minnie Potter seemed too shocked and horrified to even speak. She gaped at her brother, and turned to Teddy and Emma with an incredulous expression.

'But, Phil!' She gasped, 'Gryffindor!'

Phil glanced at Teddy and Emma desperately, and they both just shrugged in response. Minnie was certainly very adamant about the things she wanted to happen.

'We are all going to be in Gryffindor, right guys?' She stared forcefully at each of them in turn.

'I guess so?' Teddy replied, and Emma just nodded weakly.

'Great. Now that that's settled, what should we do?' She asked, and was met with no ideas.

Thankfully, the situation was saved by he trolley lady knocking on their door.

'Can I interest you children in any snacks?' She smiled at them kindly.

'Ooh, yes please!' Minnie said with an enthusiastic bounce on the seat. 'Could we perhaps have some of everything?' She asked, with a rather angelic smile, which was so different to her usual mischievous grin, that Emma burst out laughing.

The lady gave her a confused look, but passed all the food out, nodding and thanking them all when Minnie handed her rather too much money, saying 'Keep the change.'

They all opened their chocolate frogs, and Teddy seemed to have an incredibly energetic one, as it leaped out of the wrapping as soon as he tore it open eagerly.

'Hey!' He shouted unhappily, 'Come back here!'

Of course the frog paid no attention, and continued bouncing around the compartment, stopping for a rest on the window ledge, which incidentally was the last thing it ever did, as Minnie's arm shot out, grabbed it, and popped it into her mouth quicker than any of them ever thought was possible.

'Okay...' Teddy muttered, and took another chocolate frog from the large pile, and ate it quickly, giving it no opportunity to escape. 'Who did you all get on your cards?'

'I got Snape!' Minnie exclaimed, licking chocolate happily from the corners of her mouth.

'Felix Summerby,' Emma announced, scanning the card quickly, 'Apparently he invented cheering charms.'

Phil glanced at his card, and looked up at the group, grinning. 'Harry Potter.' It was clear he was proud to have him as a grandfather.

'I got Hermione Granger.' Teddy murmured, almost to himself. 'Dad told me her daughter Rose's son is starting Hogwarts this year too. His name's Orion, apparently.'

'So he'd be our...' Minnie frowned, thinking hard.

'Second cousin.' Phil supplemented, and earned a grateful nod from his sister.

'Well we should look out for him then.' She decided, 'Seeing that he's family and all. We should all listen out for an Orion in the sorting ceremony, and then we'll know what he looks like. Okay?'

'Sounds good.' Emma smiled, 'It's nice to know lots of people when you're starting. I wouldn't be able to go to an unfamiliar new place with no one I knew. It would just be too scary!' She shuddered, emphasising her point.

'How about we go and meet more people?' Teddy suggested. 'We must have a lot of second cousins on this train, seeing how many first cousins our mum and your dad have.'

Phil nodded. 'Yeah that's true. They'll be loads of Weasley's everywhere. If you see a redhead, they're probably related to us.' He added with a grin.

Minnie was the first to leave their compartment, and she immediately peeped into the one directly opposite. She beckoned them over, and they all looked in, Emma having to stand on her tiptoes to see the boy siting alone inside.

He looked up suddenly, and looked shocked and slightly terrified to see four young faces watching him through the glass. Minnie gave him a small wave, and he tentatively waved back, pushing his mousy blonde hair out of his eyes with the other hand.

He stared at them for a few moments, while they stared back awkwardly, before Emma had the initiative to open the door.

'Hi,' She said, giving him a small smile, and gestured towards the seats opposite him, and after he nodded, sat down. 'I'm Emma Lupin, and this is my brother Teddy.'

'Hi,' The boy replied, still looking slightly sceptical about the whole encounter. 'Is this a prank or something?' He asked, looking pointedly at Minnie and Phil, who were still peering in through the window.

'No, of course not!' Emma laughed, and nodded at them to come inside.

'These are my second cousins, Minnie and Phil Potter.'

'Hi,' He murmured again, 'I'm Luca Scamander.'

'Then we're related too!' Minnie exclaimed excitedly, 'If you're related to Lorcan Scamander that is.'

'Yeah,' Luca cocked his head to one side, 'He's my uncle. How do you know him?'

'Our aunt Lily is his wife, right Teddy?' Emma explained, slightly unsure because of how huge their family was. She wouldn't be surprised if they were somehow related to everyone on the train!

'Yeah, she is,' He nodded, and then turned to face Luca, 'So that makes us... Related in some way.' He finished lamely.

'So, a first year too?' Minnie asked, jumping onto the seat next to him, to break the uncomfortable silence.

Luca smiled at her gratefully, 'Yeah, I am. I wonder what house I'll be in. My mum was a Slytherin, but my dad was a Ravenclaw, but he says the hat was contemplating Grryfindor for him too.'

'Great!' Minnie laughed, 'We're all going to be in Gryffindor, you see, and if the hat was considering Gryffindor for your dad, it might consider it for you too.'

Luca glanced at the other three, who all shrugged at him helplessly.

'So, Luca,' Minnie continued unabashedly, 'There's hope for you yet.'


End file.
